Abstract: Modeling the mass exchange in terrestrial ecosystem is an important aspect and a very promising and irreplaceable instrument in studying the cycles of water, carbon, and nutrients in ecosystems. Numerous models about the mass exchange in terrestrial ecosystem were developed in recent years, and in this paper, they were categorized into: 1) empirical, process, and hybrid models based on the differences in modeling idea; 2) biophysical and biogeochemical models in terms of the mechanisms of mass transfer; 3) single, dual, and multiple models complying with the distinction of vegetation structure; 4) diagnostic and prognostic models according to the differences in application; 5) bottomup and top-down models in the light of logical structure of modeling; 6) ecosystem, landscape, and regional scale models based on the dissimilarity of scale; and 7) photosynthesis and transpiration models depending on plant physiological processes. The merits and shortcomings of the models were analyzed, and the directions in further research were proposed.

Key words: Forest ecosystem, Atmosphere boundary layer, Numerical simulation